Unstoppable Gale!

"Teacher, please accept me as your disciple!" (X50) 

Gray forced himself not to grin. They had taken the bait!

Fifty students stood before him, their eyes gleaming with expectation. This was the result of Zhang going around "bragging" about securing one of Gray's "limited" disciple spots! 

LIMITED?! That word alone had ignited many hearts. This, combined with Gray's recent awe-inspiring performance, had created this result! Now, it was time to SWINDLE! 

He even frowned, faking anger… 

"Student Zhang! Why have you brought so many here? Didn't I say I'd accept a couple of your friends as Disciples? Do you even know what a couple means?!" 

"Please, Teacher! They're all my very good friends! I couldn't bear to leave anyone behind!" Zhang begged tearfully, just as they had planned, the students shaking. 

"Fine, fine! I did promise you, after all. Everyone who's a friend of student Zhang can stay, as for the others… SCRAM!" He had barely finished when cheers erupted. 

"Hell Yes! Thank you, Teacher!" 

"Fifty disciples at once? That's crazy!"

"Hehe, my friend had to beg for two weeks to become one!" 

"You tell me! There's been a line at Teacher Heinrich since his arrival!" 

At this moment, they suddenly didn't mind the 10 Obsidian Coins they had "given" Fatty Zhang to tag along, nor did they mind Gray's less—than—stellar reputation. 

Seeing them galvanized, Gray spoke once more… 

"Now, student Zhang, what about the task I gave you?"

"Ah! The Logistics Department said you'll have to pick up your Teaching Badge personally! They absolutely won't deliver it." 

That's when the excited crowd froze. Wait, he didn't have his Badge just yet? It was needed to register the students' names! What now? But as if reading their thoughts… 

"What now? We raid the Logistics Department! Onward, my Disciples!" Problem? What problem! Strangely, at that moment, their new Teacher felt unstoppable. 

Anyone with ANY sense of propriety would have told them to come back later or to wait here, right? Not him! Thus, the strangest of scenes soon appeared… 

At the Academy Plaza… 

"Hey, did you hear about the new teachers?"

Who hasn't? Aldor Heinrich is the perfect—"

"Not him! The other new guy's a crazy rascal! He humiliated—"

But before the student could explain, there was suddenly a commotion. Wait, wasn't that actually Teacher Gale?! Also, what was up with that train?! 

Behind him, there was a long line of students. It wasn't an expression either, as Gray had specifically told them to stand in a line. Thus, their group was extremely noticeable! 

"Make way! Teacher and disciples coming through, careful!" 

Was there a need to shout? They had eyes! But then they suddenly froze. Had he said, disciples?! Wasn't this a little too many? Also, why were they following him so closely?! 

At this moment, a few would-be-disciples blushed in shame, but their skin became thicker as they remembered their poor 10 Obsidian Coins. But before they could actually despair… 

"Hehe. Let's make this trip fun, shall we? I'll give 100 Obsidian Coins to whoever can answer any of my questions! How about it, you guys interested?" 

— GASPS! — 

"I'm interested, Teacher!" 

"Answering questions? Count me in!" 

"Ask away, Teach. I love that kind of stuff!" 

"Pfft— Love? You mean the obsidian coins, right?!" 

At this moment, their attitude changed completely. 100 Obsidian coins?! One had to know this was easily a month's income, even for the richest of them! Gray smiled. 

"First question! On a sunny day, the Duke of Hellrand goes on a walk. After taking a few wrong turns, he ends up at the Academy Plaza. Without waiting, he obliterates it! Why?" 

The students couldn't help but feel confused. What was up with that question?! A few hesitantly raised their hands, Gray pointing at them. 

"It's a trick question. The Duke and the Academy are allies!" 

"Maybe a passing student inadvertently made him mad?" 

"Idiot, The Duke wouldn't be that susceptible!"

"You're the idiot. It's a question, not reality!" 

Yet, after every answer, Gray would shake his head in denial. Then, seeing as there wasn't any good answer, he turned to the watching gallery. "How about you guys?" 

"W-What we can join too?! Are you serious?!" 

"I thought it was only for Disciples?!"

"That's so damn amazing!" 

But before his Disciples could grumble, Gray clarified: "Join the line. The first ones get to answer in priority." With this, seniority was rewarded! 

Hearing this, the spectators all rushed toward the line, eager to give their answers. Why did it almost seem like their asses were on fire?! Actually, their mouths were even hotter: 

"Destroyed the plaza? It's a power-play to expand the Royal influence!" 

"He slipped and destroyed it all by mistake! The Duke is STRONG!" 

"The Headmaster wasn't there to welcome him!"

"Teacher, I give up. What is it?!" 

After many wrong answers, the line, which had grown to a hundred students by now, was now utterly silent. They had all given up! That's when Gray finally revealed the answer. 

"It's easy. The Duke took a single look at the board and got jealous…" 

What?! The board? What did that have to do with the Duke? But as their greedy eyes scanned the text, they suddenly all exclaimed one after the other. 

Teacher Aldor Heinrich: Pride of Hellrand…. If Aldor was the pride of Hellrand, then what was the Duke? Mere decoration?! It was such a dumb answer, and yet it felt so damn right! 

"T-Teacher, that was something else…" 

"Pfft— Cheer up, guys. We're just getting started! Are you guys ready for LOTS more? Ah, but let's keep moving. Talk on the go!" Thus, Gray happily led a student exodus! 

As for the 100 students following him. He'd need more, far more! That's when he brought them on the mightiest Academy Tour ever!

He had planned so many stops, and each would be similar to the Plaza events! 

1. "Us? We're going to the Logistics Department. Anyway, wanna play a game?" 

2. Of course they would! After all, they could use the 100 Coins to grow stronger! 

3. "Here's a riddle! Can't solve it? Sucks to be you, but here's the super-easy answer!" 

1 → 2 → 3 → Rinse and repeat! 

He kept doing that over and over at every location… 

The Training Grounds ⚔️ → + 80 Combat Mages 

The Hunting Grounds 🏹 → + 35 Sneaky Hunters 

The Astronomy Tower ⭐ → + 25 Astral Mages 

The Academic Library 📘 → + 10 Researchers 

The Alchemy Pagoda 🌿 → + 7 Alchemists

The Mighty Bellows 🔥 → + 5 Blacksmiths 

At the end of it all, Gray found himself with a couple hundred followers, and all because he had taken so many detours! Yet, the students weren't even tired. 

"That last one was so goddamn obvious!"

"And yet we all got it wrong…"

"Yeah, that wife was so OP!" 

They all shook their heads, expecting the next destination. Would it be the Mess Hall for a snack? Or maybe they'd go to the Mana Testing Facilities to give some newbies PTSD?

"Teacher Gale, where to now?"

"Pfft— Obviously, the Logistics Department!" 

"Ah! Of course, of course! Can I propose a shortcut?"

The little devils didn't take long to propose very questionable "shortcuts" for him. After all, their sole goal was to make the trip as long as possible. 

At that moment, they were even thanking their lucky stars for Gray! 

He really was one hell of a teacher!

Rhetoric? Over 9000! 

Quick-thinking? Godlike! 

Handsomeness? Self-Proclaimed! 

Basic Sense of orientation? NONE! 

Who knows how many years this journey to the Logistics Department would take? He'd get lost just like before and— Wait, WHAT?! This time, everything was different. 

"A-Are my eyes deceiving me, or is Teacher Gale heading in the right direction?!"

"Noooo! This can't be?! Gods in Heaven, please let him take a wrong turn!"

"C-Could it be that he wasn't lost at all before? Was he just playing?!" 

Totally, but Gray would never admit to it! After all, it was WAY easier to cause trouble going "Sorry, I got lost" than to say "Sup, I'm here to poach disciples"! 

Bust just as they were panicking… Gray finally took a wrong turn right before their destination! But little did they know that this had been his true goal all along! 

From the very start, all of it had been for THIS singular moment! 

Then, before long, in a certain Teacher's courtyard with tons of students all waiting to meet him... 

"This is crazy! The line hasn't moved in an hour!"

"You can leave if you want, but I'm definitely staying!"

"Scoff, I'm not crazy. I'm staying too! Teacher's Aldor's one in a million!"

So many students repeated the "one in a million", picturing themselves as his Disciples. As long as they became one, then they would inevitably rise and become incredible powerhouses!

But that's when a commotion resounded… 

"What's happening? Why's the back so rowdy?" 

"Hmmm, I heard Teacher Gale has arrived." 

"Gale? Was there such a teacher?" 

They all seemed utterly confused until a few finally remembered that there was indeed such a newcomer. 

"It's the 33-points fake Teacher!"

"Ah, no wonder! Poor guy, he must be going crazy!"

"Hehe, he's probably coming here to beg for students!" 

"Beg? He could even lick my feet, that I wouldn't join him!" 

But they had barely started ridiculing him when a commotion once again broke from the back. But this time, it wasn't merely gossip. This time, it was shouts of disbelief. 

That's when HE appeared. 

So that was Teacher Gale, eh? He looked surprisingly calm for someone whom every student despised and who was completely eclipsed by Teacher Aldor.

But then, THEY followed. 

As disciple after disciple appeared, the people waiting in line felt like they were losing their minds. One, a couple, a dozen, there were freaking hundreds of them! 

Gray grinned, walking right up to the front of the line. He even planted his feet directly before Aldor's door, patiently waiting. 

With this, there were suddenly two distinct lines: the one waiting for Aldor and the one trailing behind him…. Except why did the second seem far longer?! 

But before they could figure it out, the door opened, Aldor appearing! 

"Ah!?! Teacher Gale, is that you? What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be recruiting students for your upcoming class?" he asked, truly baffled. 

"Don't worry! All picked and Class has already begun, see? We were just coming to say hello in passing. Everyone, greet Teacher Aldor!" 

— GREETINGS TEACHER! — 

— GREETINGS TEACHER! — 

— GREETINGS TEACHER! — 

The entire freaking courtyard shook! As for the students trash-talking him a second ago? They suddenly felt their faces burn up! 

Beg for students? It seemed he had plenty to spare! As for not joining him even if he licked their shoes? Even if THEY wanted to lick instead, they'd have to get in line first! 

"A-Are they all your students, Teacher Gale?" 

"Indeed. I've taught them all important life lessons already. Ah, but don't worry, Teacher Aldor! It's not the size of the student line that matters. It's how you use it." 

"…"

"…"

"…" 

With this, he gave the shellshocked Aldor a thumbs up, before turning tail, leaving just as promptly as he had arrived, leaving one last sentence behind. 

"One in a million, eh? Then yours truly must be one in a billion." 

As for the students behind him, they did their best not to guffaw. Come say hello in passing? Who was he freaking kidding?! He was 100% showing off! 

Yet, instead of feeling bad about it, they felt their blood pumping! What would come next?! What kind of spectacular show would it be?! They couldn't wait for—

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

Logistics Department!

Teacher and Student Supplies!

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

"Fuck! We're already here?!"

"Dammnit, please tell me they're closed!" 

"Wouldn't it be awesome to go around a couple more times?!" 

Unfortunately for them, their destination was very open, with magical doors welcoming them. Gray confidently stepped in: he'd finally get his Teacher Badge! 

But he had merely entered, that he felt something was VERY wrong…